Description
Date sweetened, naturally gluten-free bars loaded with dark chocolate and impossibly moist, these little treasures will change how you think about blondies forever. I’m all about healthy recipes that don’t feel like you’re giving up anything!
Ingredients
- 1 can white beans (15 oz)
- 1 cup dates (organic preferred), any pits and hard blossom ends removed (see note)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil
- 1/4 cup rolled oats or 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 2 large eggs
- 3 oz. dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350. Line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment (see note).
- First, place dates in a small pan and cover with water. Bring the pan to a boil, then let the dates soak for 10 minutes. While the dates are soaking, drain the beans in a small strainer. Rinse off the can liquid, then strain out the excess water from the dates in the same strainer. Shake the excess water out in the sink.
- If you’re using coconut oil, melt it in a cup in the microwave for about 1 minute. You can skip this if you’re using olive oil.
- Next, place the drained beans and dates in a food processor along with the coconut (or olive) oil, oats, baking soda, salt, vanilla and the eggs. Process until everything as smooth as possible, which will take 4-5 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor periodically in this time. Give one last good scrape down all around the sides of the food processor, then pulse a few more times to get a very smooth mixture.
- Stir in most of the chocolate, saving a handful for the top of the blondies.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, then smooth the top with a spatula.
- Scatter the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
- Bake 18-20 minutes until the top of the blondies springs back in the middle and there’s no jiggle if you shake the pan a bit.
- Cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
- Blondies can be kept at room temperature loosely covered for up to 3 days…if they last that long!
Notes
What kind of beans?: Go for cannellini beans or great white northern beans. Chickpeas also work, though I find they have a distinct taste that I don’t care for. If it doesn’t bother you, more power to you.
To make a parchment sling: cut 2 pieces of parchment the width of your baking pan. Lay them on the bottom of the pan, one covering two sides, and the next one covering the remaining two sides. Once baked, you can use the overhanging parchment to pull the bars out of the pan easily.
Check your dates: Be sure to check your dates. Once it a while, you’ll find a stray pit that wasn’t removed or a hard blossom end that’s still attached. It’s not a bad idea to pull open each date before you throw them in the food processor. If at any point you hear a high pitched squeak or like your machine is trying to grind rocks, it’s likely there’s a pit somewhere in the mix. If this happens, unplug your machine and pull out the blade. Remove the pit that’s probably lodged itself right on the blade.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Additional Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Healthier Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 138
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 140
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 17
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 24